Lesson 3
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  • Pinyin
    Chinese characters
    English
    Notes


    • new word
    yǒu有have




    new word
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone

    note
    Shǒujī literally means "hand device".




    note
    Officially, shǒujī uses the measure word 部 (bù), but in informal speech saying "nàge shǒujī" or "zhège shǒujī" is fine.

    new word
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't

    note
    Yǒu is the only word not negated by bù. Instead, yǒu is negated by méi. You can never say "bù yǒu".





    new word
    píngguǒ苹果apple






    new word
    yī一one

    note
    Similar to bù, yī often changes its tone. When preceding a tone 4 it changes to tone 2 (exactly like bù shì becoming bú shì) and in the following sentences it will mostly be pronounced yí. There are other rules for yī but we'll cover those when they come up.

    new word
    gè个default measure word

    note
    When counting nouns you must use a measure word. Gè is the default measure word that is used in the vast majority of cases. Some nouns are special and use a different measure word, we'll cover those when we encounter them.



    new word
    liǎng两two (of something)












    new word
    méi没don't have, haven't

    note
    There's no difference in meaning between "méi píngguǒ" and "méiyǒu píngguǒ"


    note
    Chinese lacks a word that simply means "yes". Instead, the relevant verb is used, which in this case is shì.




    note
    For simplicity we'll just translate shǒujī as "phone" from now on, which reflects modern usage.


    wǒ我I, me
    yǒu有have
    péngyou朋友friend
    shéi谁who
    yǒu有have
    bēizi杯子cup, glass
    nà那that
    shì是is, am, are
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    nǐ你you
    yǒu有have
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    ma吗question particle
    nàge那个that one, that
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    shì是is, am, are
    wǒ我I, me
    de的possessive particle
    tā他he, him
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't
    péngyou朋友friend
    zhè这this
    shì是is, am, are
    shéi谁who
    de的possessive particle
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    shéi谁who
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    zhè这this
    shì是is, am, are
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    nàge那个that one, that
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    bù不no, not
    shì是is, am, are
    wǒmen我们we, us
    de的possessive particle
    tāmen他们they, them
    de的possessive particle
    péngyou朋友friend
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    yī一one
    yī一one
    gè个default measure word
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    wǒ我I, me
    yǒu有have
    yī一one
    gè个default measure word
    bēizi杯子cup, glass
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    wǒ我I, me
    yǒu有have
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    péngyou朋友friend
    wǒ我I, me
    de的possessive particle
    péngyou朋友friend
    yǒu有have
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    tā他he, him
    yǒu有have
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    de的possessive particle
    péngyou朋友friend
    wǒmen我们we, us
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    zhège这个this one, this
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    shì是is, am, are
    wǒ我I, me
    de的possessive particle
    nà那that
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    shì是is, am, are
    shéi谁who
    de的possessive particle
    wǒ我I, me
    méi没don't have, haven't
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    zhège这个this one, this
    shì是is, am, are
    nǐ你you
    de的possessive particle
    shì是is, am, are
    ma吗question particle
    shì是is, am, are
    tāmen他们they, them
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    méiyǒu没有don't have, haven't
    wǒ我I, me
    de的possessive particle
    bēizi杯子cup, glass
    shéi谁who
    yǒu有have
    wǒ我I, me
    de的possessive particle
    shǒujī手机mobile phone, cellphone
    zhè这this
    liǎng两two (of something)
    gè个default measure word
    píngguǒ苹果apple
    shì是is, am, are
    nǐmen你们you (plural)
    de的possessive particle
    ma吗question particle
    shì是is, am, are
    shì是is, am, are
    wǒmen我们we, us
    de的possessive particle
    ;